


Sunbeams

by chipsandchips



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Boys In Love, Conversations, Dolls, I'm Bad At Titles, Inner Dialogue, KuroMahi, M/M, Self-Doubt, bad dream, be more than just friends, inner demon, mahiru is sunshine, sad kuro, servamp and eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22700002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chipsandchips/pseuds/chipsandchips
Summary: Kuro faces his inner demon, literally.**takes place right after chapter 92.
Relationships: Kuro | Sleepy Ash & Shirota Mahiru, Kuro | Sleepy Ash/Shirota Mahiru
Comments: 9
Kudos: 99





	Sunbeams

It was always dark and lonely here. Kuro trudged across the grey and empty landscape, hoping that he could leave soon. He hated coming here. The empty wind blew through his hair and he sighed, wondering why his mind had to be such a desolate place.

_Ah, because you are a monster. Monsters don’t get to have a happy place to retreat to, just this._

He frowned. Oh that’s right- monster. Being with Mahiru made him forget about that, though. Mahiru never looked at him like he was a monster. Mahiru smiled at him, would grab him by the hand and pull excitedly when he saw a sale at the grocery store... Mahiru worried about him, chastised him whenever he was careless in battle, and fretted over his wounds as if he could die from them. Mahiru treated Kuro like a friend, a partner, not a monster.

The wind picked up and blew hard enough to cause Kuro to stagger backwards and shield his face. It was cold and biting, forcing Kuro to pull his jacket tighter around him. And then suddenly the wind stopped and everything was quiet. He straightened up and froze when he heard soft laughter behind him.

“Mahi this and Mahi that... but Mahi doesn’t really know you does he? Or should I say ‘us’?”

He didn’t want to turn and face the thing talking to him, but his body moved on its own and suddenly he was face to face with the grim reminder of what he really was.

Monster. Demon.

“Oh come now,” the demon pouted, “I’m not that terrible. After all you came to me, didn’t you? You need me.”

He placed his hands on his hips and looked Kuro up and down. Apparently his doppelgänger was unimpressed with what he saw because his face had a look of pure disdain. It was strange for Kuro to see his own face show such emotion so easily.

“No wonder you need my help,” the demon scoffed and ran a hand through his dark hair, brushing past one of his horns in the process, “You look pathetic.”

Kuro rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Why are you here? You’re making this awful experience even more awful.”

“Awww poor Kuro, doesn’t like being trapped inside his mind.” The demon’s taunting smile morphed into an angry scowl and he hissed, “At least you get to leave. I have to stay here.”

Kuro looked away. Guilt immediately flooded his body and he wanted nothing more than to run away from this unpleasant place and hide in Mahiru’s warm hug and hear his soothing words of comfort. Unfortunately, though, he was stuck here in this strange state of unconsciousness. It happened sometimes when he would fall asleep, instead of dreams he would slip inside his mind and get to either relive all his terrible past decisions or get tormented by his inner demon. Since meeting Mahiru, though, these occurrences became less and less frequent. He found himself mostly having-thankfully- dreamless nights or, more recently, restless dreams that involved a flushed Mahiru with very little to no clothing. Kuro blushed at that last thought.

The demon snickered as if reading Kuro’s mind, which on second thought, he probably could.

“I liked you better when you looked like some demonic stuffed toy.” Kuro muttered. “Why are you here... in that form?”

“Suits me much better doesn’t it?” The demon laughed and twirled, ending in an exaggerated pose. Yes, it was very unnerving for Kuro to see a version of himself like this. The demon regained his composure and continued, “Our bond is stronger because of our physical proximity.” He rolled his eyes at Kuro’s blank stare and continued, “I’m a part of you, but my power has been sealed in the rose. Since you’ve been hiding in Japan all this time, only a very small part of me managed to stay with you, but,” he grinned mischievously, “since you’ve come back to England, things have changed. And since our Eve answered my call, I have more of a presence in your mind.”

Kuro glared at the mention of Mahiru, “You are not a part of me and Mahiru is MY Eve. You have nothing to do with him.”

“Yes, I do!” the demon growled and a menacing aura surrounded him. His pupils turned to slits and his nails grew into claws. Around them, the sky darkened. “You’ve denied me long enough, Kuro. I’ve been sealed away for CENTURIES in this dark place. Do you know how lonely and pitiful it’s been? But...but then suddenly there was Mahiru,” at the mention of the Eve, the demon’s countenance softened and his claws retracted, “...and he was warm and I remembered what the sunlight felt like.” The demon paused; like he was lost in thought and Kuro felt dread seeping into his body. “I enjoyed the few times he came to visit. But it’s not enough. You’ve been selfish, Kuro, trying to keep him for yourself. Not fair at all. I’m a part of you, but you’re not sharing Mahiru with me.”

Kuro glared at him, “You’re dangerous, that’s why you’ve been sealed and I’m not letting you near Mahi.” He snarled at the demon, “You’ll only hurt him and I won’t let that happen.”

A look of disbelief and rage passed over the demon's face and he laughed, “I’m the one that will hurt Mahiru?” He spat and pointed accusingly at Kuro, “You can’t protect him at your current level. You’ve come to me for my power and yet you have the audacity to say that I’ll hurt him.” Kuro didn't reply. He could feel the anger and shame boiling over and the only thing he could do was glare at eyes that reflected his own rage. “I can protect our Eve,” the demon continued, “You’ll just get him killed because you’re weak.”

A loud silence stretched between them. This was exactly why Kuro hated coming to this place. Being here never failed to remind that he was utterly useless. Mahiru would probably grow tired of his incompetence soon.

The demon was watching him carefully. “I’ll tell you what,” he sauntered up to Kuro and threw an arm over his shoulder as if they were good friends, “I’ll give you my power, but you need to give me something in return.” Kuro felt his stomach drop and he had a gnawing suspicion that he knew what the demon would ask for. “I’ll give you the power you need to kill Tsubaki and protect your important people, but,” the demon leaned in close to Kuro so they were eye to eye and a maniacal smile formed on his face, “you need to give me Mahiru.”

Kuro didn’t even realize he had drawn his claws. The next thing he knew, the demon had jumped away from him and was clutching his arm and there was blood dripping from Kuro’s claws.

“Tsk tsk, Kuro. That’s not how you negotiate.”

He glowered darkly and hissed, “There is nothing to negotiate. I need your power to defeat Tsubaki and you’re going to give it to me.”

The demon narrowed his eyes, “That’s not fair, Kuro. You can’t take without giving something in return. You’ve done enough taking for too long, now it’s time to give me something. I want Mahiru.” His voice was becoming more frantic and a crazed look came over his face, “It’s really not fair, not fair at all. You’ve had him for long enough...let’s make a trade! You can... you can stay here! And sleep as much as you want! I’ll go back in your place. I’ll fight instead. I’ll protect him. I’ll hold him. He’s warm... I remember feeling his warmth when he last visited. I grabbed his wrist and it was warm and small... it fit so well in my hand. And his blood! I could feel it pulsing through him. So warm. I want to feel that again. It’s been cold here for so long...”

There was a sadness to the demon that Kuro related to. He had also been cold and lonely for a long time. When Mahiru picked him up it was like a new life started for him. And Kuro would not do anything to endanger his new life. He would guard it jealousy from anything that sought to destroy it. Kuro could sympathize with the demon, but he was too desperate to maintain what he had with Mahiru.

“I’m not giving him to you. If you care about him and want to protect him then give me your power! You can help me keep him safe!”

“But then you’ll just shove me away again!” The demon screamed in anguish, “You’ll hide me from the light and take it all for yourself! Not fair, not fair, not fair at all. Selfish, selfish. You’re the Servamp of Sloth... not Greed. So don’t be greedy and share with me. I want a taste,” he moaned feverishly and closed his eyes, “I want a taste too. I’ve been so hungry.”

He disappeared for a second and then suddenly appeared right in front of Kuro, too fast for him to react. His horns butted against Kuro’s forehead and they were once again eye to eye. Kuro wanted to leave now. He didn’t like this one bit. Too much emotion was pouring out from the demon. Kuro could feel what he was going through, despair, desire, pain, hope... emotions and thoughts were going by so fast it was making Kuro dizzy.

_Can’t deal._

The demon was clutching Kuro’s jacket collar and looking at him with hungry eyes. “Is it sweet? Does his blood taste sweet? Give me, give me. I want some too. Springtime! I bet it tastes like Spring...”

Kuro said nothing. The blood Mahiru gave him was for him only, a link that connected the two of them together. Kuro would be damned if he shared something so intimate with anyone else. And the truth was that Mahi’s blood did taste like Spring. It was warm, comforting, gentle, sweet, and so addicting. It filled Kuro up with an incredible amount of strength, hope, and- to Kuro's constant surprise- love. The last feeling had bewildered Kuro when he first felt it after drinking his Eve's blood and he refused to think too much about it, lest he misunderstand and hope for something more. After all, Mahiru loved many people... he loved his mother, his uncle, his friends, that subclass who didn’t deserve such love, and Kuro suspected that he may even love the father who was never there. There were multiple levels of love and Kuro wasn’t sure which level he stood on with Mahiru. For Kuro, though, it wasn’t that he just _loved_ Mahiru, but that he was _in love_ with Mahiru.

But Mahi was human. Mahi will die one day and leave Kuro behind. Leave him more of a mess than he already was. So even if Kuro was in love with his Eve, even if he fantasized about the possibility of being something more than partners—being lovers— he refused to act. Kuro was a vampire who was only good at killing and hiding in shadows. He didn’t deserve someone like Mahiru, not after all the things he’d done.

The demon had let go of Kuro’s jacket and was now sitting on the ground with his back to Kuro, hunched over and humming happily to himself. He was working on something, but Kuro couldn’t see it. Suddenly he twisted his head to look back at him and shouted, “Hey, no peeking!” He turned back to whatever he was working on and continued, “I’m almost done. It’s a surprise, but not for you. Just some finishing touches and........done!”

A shoddily stitched doll was clutched in the demon’s outstretched hand. He was shaking the doll in Kuro’s direction and taunting him in a singsong voice, “Look what I have, look what I have! It’s mine, all mine, not yours.”

Kuro frowned at first then took a closer look at the doll and realized with horror that it was supposed to be Mahiru. Brown buttons for eyes, a stitched on smile, and shreds of brown felt for hair. It even wore handmade clothes that mimicked his Eve’s style. The demon grinned at Kuro and stood up, holding the doll close to his chest. “Do you want to see a magic trick?” He asked playfully. Before Kuro could reply the demon swiftly spun around so his back was to Kuro once more. “Okay! Wait for it...wait for it...and...ta-daaa!” He spun back to face Kuro and stared at him with a wide smile. Instead of hugging the doll, the demon now had his arms wrapped around Mahiru.

Kuro’s heart lurched and he felt an incredible wave of fear sweep over him that surpassed any fear he had ever experienced, including the time when Touma had told him that he had killed his Eve. “Ma-Mahiru?” Kuro was stunned beyond belief. _How was Mahi here? How did this happen? This ca_ _n’t be real…_ Panic filled Kuro’s mind.

He took a step forward, but the demon pulled backward and clutched Mahiru tighter to his chest. “Look what I have, look what I have,” he taunted again, but the enthusiasm and cheer from before was all gone, replaced with something much darker, “It’s mine, all mine...,” his right hand gripped Mahiru’s chin and his left arm draped across the Eve’s chest ending with his hand on Mahiru’s waist. The demon lowered his head so it was resting on the human’s shoulder. His eyes glowed red and he hissed, “Not yours.”

Kuro attacked.

He didn’t think twice, just launched himself at the demon and aimed a clawed hand at his smirking face. The demon dodged, but Kuro pursued him, striking out at him in anger. Rage consumed him and all he thought about was killing the creature.

“Careful!” The demon called out after narrowly dodging one of Kuro’s attacks, “Or you might hit Mahi-Mahi!”

Kuro didn’t reply, but he shifted his gaze to Mahiru’s face. His Eve didn’t seem angry or worried about his situation. If anything he looked like he was lost in thought… as if these events had nothing to do with him. He was also strangely docile, allowing himself to be clutched by the demon and not even fighting back on his own. Kuro frowned, Mahiru was usually feisty, even when the odds were stacked against him, he would fight. It was almost like he was....

“A doll!” The demon laughed hysterically. “He’s just a doll! Nice reaction, though, Kuro. Very heroic of you.”

Kuro instantly felt deflated. This was too much. He prayed that he would wake up soon.

“It’s just a doll, but,” the demon smiled at the Mahi-doll and hugged him tightly, “he’s almost like the real thing, huh?” The demon placed a kiss on the corner of the doll's lips and Kuro wanted to throw up. “He feels like the real thing too,” one of the demon’s hands crept underneath the doll’s shirt as the other tugged lightly on the waistband of its pants, “though, I bet you would know for sure... wouldn’t you?”

Kuro’s eyes widened at what the demon was implying and he angrily stuttered, “Wh-what are you talking about?! I would... I would never... Mahiru is—“

“Oh, really? Wow,” the demon looked genuinely surprised, “I thought for sure that you would have...” he observed Kuro’s bothered appearance and leered, “but you want to, don’t you?”

Kuro paled, but remained silent. The demon nuzzled his face into the doll’s neck and his tongue flashed out to lick the pale skin. Kuro growled a warning at the demon. Even if it wasn’t really Mahiru, it still looked too real and the thought of his Eve being touched like that was infuriating.

The demon laughed, “You’ve spent all this time with our Eve and you’ve never lain with him? Aren’t you curious, though?” the demon lovingly stroked the doll's face. His voice lowered and his eyes darkened with lust, “His skin is always so warm...don’t you want to know if he’s just as warm inside?”

This time Kuro actually managed to hit the demon. He had moved so fast that the demon didn’t even realize he had been hit. One second he had been taunting the vampire and the next he was lying flat on his back with immense pain radiating from where Kuro punched him in the face. The demon sat up and clutched the side of his face, laughing at the pain. His Mahi-doll and disappeared when he got hit, leaving the two of them alone once again.

“Don’t talk about Mahiru like that.” Kuro angrily growled at him. He was bothered and ashamed to admit that the demon wasn't completely wrong. “It doesn’t matter...,” Kuro mumbled more to himself, “...it doesn’t matter what I want because nothing is going to happen.”

The demon slowly pulled himself up and chuckled humorlessly, “‘Doesn’t matter, ‘Can’t deal’, ‘Troublesome’... Lazy excuses. If you are Sloth then I am Zeal. You take no action. You are indecisive. There is no conviction in anything you do or say. I am different, though. I know what I want and I’m not afraid to do something about it. You want my power, but you’re afraid to use it, that’s why you kept me here so long. You love the human, but you’re afraid of what could happen from loving him. I look at you and all I see is fear. And that fear is what keeps you from doing anything.” The demon stepped forward and roughly grabbed Kuro’s jacket collar and pulled him close and smirked, “You are lazy and you are worthless. But I’m not. I’m not afraid to take the steps that you can’t. So let me out.”

Kuro stared at the demon in what he hoped was an impassive expression. Everything the demon said was true and it got under his skin. It would be easy to cave in and let him take control so Kuro didn’t have to take responsibility anymore. If this opportunity had been offered a while back then Kuro may have even agreed to it, but things changed since he met Mahiru. Yes, Kuro was weak and lazy and he was afraid, but Mahiru believed in him. Mahiru trusted him. He fought alongside Kuro and fought for Kuro. He needed Kuro and expected Kuro to be there for him. And how could Kuro deny Mahiru anything?

“You’re right,” Kuro said softly as he calmly removed the demon’s hands, “I am worthless, I am weak, I am useless… I am all those things,” the demon looked confused when a small smile appeared on Kuro’s face, “but, Mahi believes otherwise and I want to believe in that too.”

The grey sky slowly began to get brighter and a small ray of light broke through the clouds. Both the demon and Kuro looked up towards the sky and felt the warmth of the light hitting their faces.

“Awww,” the demon sighed, “he’s coming to get you. So lucky. Not fair, not fair at all. I want him to get me too.”

Kuro felt an invisible tug on his arm and thought he heard his name being called. He knew from experience that he was about to wake up soon and that Mahiru was on the other side calling out to him.

The demon was beginning to fade away, but before he disappeared he sneered, “Bye bye for now, Kuro. I’ll be here waiting, I have eternity after all. But remember, just because I’m locked away doesn’t mean I’m gone for good. I am you and you are me. I’ll be seeing you and Mahiru soon.”

Kuro wanted to yell out to the demon. To tell him to leave his Eve alone, but he was pulled back and the grey landscape swept by him so fast he had to shut his eyes.

**********************************

When he opened his eyes he was greeted to a dark ceiling and the face of a very concerned Mahiru hovering over him from behind the couch.

“What a pain. You woke me up just when it was getting good.” Kuro lied and rolled onto his side so he didn’t have to face Mahiru. An image of the Mahi-doll flashed in his mind and he felt his face heat up. He couldn’t believe the demon in him had his very own Mahi-doll. It was wrong on so many levels and Kuro desperately hoped that that incident was a one-time thing. He didn’t think he’d be able to sit in his own skin if he knew the demon engaged in certain activities with a doll that looked like Mahiru. He groaned at the mental image his thoughts produced.

Thinking his Servamp was in distress from whatever plagued his sleep, Mahiru moved swiftly from behind the couch to stand in front of Kuro. “That didn’t sound like a dream,” a delicate eyebrow arched and a frown cut through Mahiru’s soft features, “and it certainly didn’t sound like it was getting good either.”

“What time is it?” Kuro ignored Mahiru’s comment and focused intently on the threads sticking out of the couch.

“Very late...or rather very early. It’s still dark outside. Gear and Youtarou are still asleep.” Mahiru tried to get a glimpse of Kuro’s face, but the vampire kept evading his gaze. “You fell asleep on the couch even though I told you to share the extra room with me.” Kuro muttered something and buried his face in the cushions. Mahiru sighed and continued, “You were thrashing around and mumbling stuff... you looked like you were hurting so I came over.”

At the comment, Kuro snuck a peek at his Eve standing over him. “I..uh...I,” he stuttered nervously, “I didn’t say anything out loud, did I?” He really didn’t want Mahiru to know what he and the demon talked about... seeing as how the majority of the conversation revolved around the Eve. It was all just too embarrassing.

Mahiru took a long second to answer, “Yes, you did. You said quite a few things actually.”

Kuro snapped up and stared at Mahiru in a mix of horror and despair. His body felt cold and clammy and thoughts fumbled in his head. _What did I say? What did I say?! “I love him”? Did he hear the demon? Does he know about Mahi-doll? Oh no… what did I say?!_

His throat felt dry, but he managed to feebly ask, “What...,” he really didn’t want to know, but he needed to, “...what did I say...?”

Mahiru gazed at him with an unreadable expression and softly replied, “You said....'Mahiru’,” Kuro closed his eyes as a wave of embarrassment washed over and he wanted nothing more than to die for real at that moment, “‘Mahiru... I am so sorry for all the mess I made and the chip crumbs everywhere! I will clean it up, I promise! Please, please don’t hit me with the broom!!’”

Kuro made an incredibly undignified noise and just blinked at Mahiru before collapsing on the couch. The adrenaline left his body as quickly as it came and he felt exhausted.

Mahiru laughed, quite delighted with himself and sat down on the couch, momentarily lifting the stunned vampire’s head and then setting it back down on his lap. Kuro was in such a shock that it took him a couple seconds to register both of their positions. By the time he realized it, though, Mahiru was already running his fingers through Kuro’s hair with no intention of letting him up.

“Just kidding!” Mahiru giggled while looking down at Kuro’s unamused face. “I knew you wouldn’t tell me what your nightmare was about, so I figured I’d make something up.”

“What a pain.” Kuro muttered to cover the purr Mahiru’s ministrations almost drew from him.

The two slipped into a comfortable silence and Kuro started to drift off again. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound of Mahiru’s soft breathing and the way his hands gently caressed his hair. It was peaceful, but Mahiru’s concern was too much and he hesitantly asked, “You were talking to him, weren’t you? The Other Kuro?”

Kuro stilled under Mahiru’s hands and he stopped breathing. He slowly opened his eyes and did his best to make his face as neutral as possible. His Eve was worried about him, but Kuro didn’t want to drag Mahiru any deeper into his mess.

_A little late for that, though, isn’t it?_

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Other Kuro?” He asked flatly, not admitting but not denying it either.

“Well,” Mahiru stopped running his hands through Kuro’s hair (much to his dismay) and explained pragmatically, “I’m not too sure what’s going on and who exactly he is to you—“

“He’s no one, just a monster. He’s Monster Kuro.” _Or maybe I am...?_

“—but he is a part of you. So until I think of a better name, I’m calling him Other Kuro. It’s simple...but simple is best. And no, Monster Kuro sounds mean. He’s not a monster and neither are you.”

Kuro blinked up at Mahiru not sure how he knew to say the things that Kuro needed to hear. Sometimes he wondered if Mahi could read his mind. Then panicked at the idea of Mahi reading some of his less than innocent thoughts involving his Eve and certain things he wanted to do to said Eve. “So troublesome,” he muttered lamely to distract himself from his current train of thought.

“What did he say? Do you want to talk about it?” Mahiru was so concerned about Kuro, and the vampire reveled in it.

The demon’s eyes glowed in Kuro’s mind. _Give me Mahiru._

“No.” Kuro stated firmly, startlingly Mahiru with his tone. He continued more softly, “It’s... complicated. There are a lot of things that need to get sorted out.”

“Fine,” Mahiru sighed. Not happy that Kuro wouldn’t open up to him, but he knew this wasn’t a subject he should push. He just needed Kuro to know that he would always be there for him, no matter what. Kuro was very important to him. “Just don’t completely shut me out, okay? I’ll always be here for you.” He smiled down at his Servamp and his hand slipped down to Kuro’s cheek, fingers gently brushing it. He hoped that Kuro would get the message, _I love you._

_Mahiru! Me too!_

The words flashed through Mahiru’s mind and he jerked his hand away from Kuro’s face. Startled, he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the voice. The room was dark, but he could still make out the profile of the rose from the corner of his eye.

_Mahiru!_

He knew it was Other Kuro calling out to him again. The same demanding yet desperate voice, beckoning him closer.

“Mahiru!” His Kuro sat up and grabbed his wrist to get his attention. “Don’t listen to him.” Mahiru numbly nodded and turned his gaze back to his Servamp, but Kuro’s grip remained on his wrist.

_..warm and small..it fit so well in my hand...So warm._ Kuro thought back to the demon and his grip tightened on Mahiru.

The Eve could sense Kuro’s unease and he placed his other hand over the one that was attached to his wrist. The two were face to face now and Mahiru could see the fear in Kuro’s eyes. Whatever happened between both Kuros clearly disturbed the Servamp. The urge to comfort Kuro became overwhelming and Mahiru threw his arms around the vampire, pulling him into a tight hug. Kuro stiffened for a second then relaxed into his Eve’s embrace. Small hands rubbed circles on his back and he rested his chin on Mahiru’s shoulder and sighed.

“I may not completely understand what’s going on, but we’ll get through it together.” Kuro loved how soft and reassuring Mahiru’s voice sounded so close to his ear. It sent delightful shivers throughout his body. When Mahiru talked like that, Kuro believed that things really would be alright. He stole a glance at the rose sitting on the table across from him.

_Give me, give me._

Kuro glared briefly at the offending flower before quickly burying his face in Mahiru’s neck. It was a rather intimate gesture- especially since Kuro was so self-conscious of his actions around Mahiru— but he needed to feel his Eve’s warmth at the moment. He could feel the blood pulsing through his human’s smaller body and even caught a whiff of its scent.

_Springtime._

“Come on,” Mahiru patted Kuro’s back and started to get up, “let’s go to bed. We can still catch a few hours of sleep before the others wake up.”

Kuro grimaced at the word sleep, not wanting to go back to that grey and empty landscape. Mahiru pulled him along towards the guest room and threw a glance over his shoulder at Kuro. “Don’t worry,” he said in that confident tone of his, “I’ll keep the nightmares away.”

It never failed to amaze Kuro how a few words from Mahiru could pull him from his darkness to someplace that was so much brighter. So much of his life had been spent in despair and regret that he didn’t think he would ever have the chance to experience happiness. But now Mahiru was his happiness and suddenly his life didn’t seem so terrible anymore.

Kuro smirked at his human and playfully mocked, “What, are you going to chase away the bad dreams with your broom?”

Mahiru laughed in reply and pushed Kuro onto the bed then crawled in next to him, missing the Servamp’s blush and ignoring the butterflies in his own stomach. Kuro had a bad dream and needed reassurance. The simple solution was to keep Kuro company in bed so he didn’t feel alone.

_And thinking simply, it has to be me._

Mahiru pulled the blankets over them and rolled on his side to face Kuro, who was lying on his back staring straight at the ceiling, caught between complete elation and utter terror of the situation.

“Goodnight Kuro,” his Eve whispered softly in the dark, “see you in the morning.”

Kuro mumbled a reply and listened to the sounds of Mahiru’s steady breathing. Eventually his Eve fell asleep and Kuro could feel the tiredness in him as well. He turned to take in the sight of Mahiru sleeping next to him so unguarded and so peaceful. This was something that he didn’t know he had been missing in his life-- someone caring for him unconditionally and trusting him so completely.

_Selfish, selfish._

Yes, Kuro was selfish when it came to Mahiru. But he didn’t care. He wanted to be selfish. Kuro didn’t have many things to call his own, but now he had Mahiru. His very own Eve. And he would stay by Mahiru’s side for as long as his Eve wanted him.

He could sense a storm was brewing and something big was going to happen soon. Tsubaki was becoming more and more dangerous and Kuro had no choice but to- literally- face his inner demon. Kuro really didn’t know what was going to happen next and how this upcoming battle with his brother would end. He didn’t know if he had the strength or even the right to harness the demon’s power. Nor did he know if any other enemies were out there, lurking in shadows. There were a lot of unknowns that made him uneasy, but-- Mahiru murmured Kuro’s name in his sleep and snuggled closer to his pillow, causing Kuro’s heart to beat faster and he tentatively reached out to stroke his Eve’s cheek-- but, whatever happened next he knew that Mahiru would be there beaming brightly at him.

Kuro gently smiled at his Eve, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> ... I’ve created a Mahi-doll *hides face in shame* I’m sorry, Mahiru.


End file.
